Simulated louvered shutter



June 29, 1965 -A Y w; RAUEN l 3,191,242 SIMULATED LouvEREb SHUTTER.Filed Jan. s, 1961 United States Patent O 3,191,242 SIMULATED LOUVEREDSHUTTER Math W. Rauen, Oconomowoc, Wis., assigner to Lyf- Alum, Inc.,Oconomowoc, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Jan. 3, 1961, Ser.No. 80,249 1 Claim. (Cl. 20-63) This invention relates to a simulateddecorative louvered shutter.

-It is an objective of t-he invent-ion to provide an improved simulatedshutter which is adjustable in length to it any requirement but isexceptionally rigid when assembled. Previously known simulated shuttersmade of Wood must be made and stocked in a variety of sizes to conformto the height of the windows with which they are used. By making theshutter in two or more sections fabricated of thin sheet metal such asaluminum, it is possible to produce a simulated shutter which will serveall practical needs. The presen-t shutter is an improvement over allsimulated shutters heretofore proposed in that its complementary par-tsinterlock in all positions to which 4they may be adjusted and, inaddition, may be nested for transportation and storage. Not only doesthe .interlock contribute greatly to the strength of a shutter made ofthin and relatively ilexible material such as aluminum, but the crosssection ofthe product is also a factor in making it rigid in use.

`In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a simulated shutter embodying theinvention, portions being broken away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary detail View in perspective showingt-he manner in which the component parts of the simulated shutter areint-erlocked in use.

FIG. 3 is .a fragmentary front elevational view of an extension unitwhich may be employed when needed.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the lower extremityofthe uppermost section of the simulated shutter.

The upper element A comprises lleft and right side portions 6 and 7 anda top portion 8 which simulate cor- .responding portions .of a sash.Each of the sash-simulating port-ions 6, 7 and 8 is provided with amarginal flange as shown respectively at 9, 10 and 11. The angesrepresent the loutside edges of the simulated sash.

The inside edges of the simulated sash are represented by the beveled orinclined surfaces 12, 13 and 14, respectively, these being of less depthfrom front to rear than the flanges 9, 1t) and v11. Integral wit-h theinclined portions 12, 13 and 14 are the strips `15, 16 and 17 whichborder the louvers at the sides and the top of the section A.

Each of the louvers 20 has a fiat top portion 21 in a plane which isparallel to but offset from the front surfaces 6, 7 and 8 which simulatethe sash. The panel portion 22 of each louver is inclined downwardly andforwardly .so that its lower margin 23 is substantially flush with thellat border str-ips and 16 at each side of the unit. An end wall 24connects each louver integrally with the border strip 16 at one side andthe border strip 15 at the other, the entire unit being stamped in onepiece.

The lower unit B, likewise stamped in one piece, is similar to unit Aexcept that .it includes a bottom sashsimulating section 25 which issufficiently narrower than the sash simulating section 8 at the top ofunit A so that the side simulating sections 26 and 27 fit Within theside simulating sections 6 and 7 of unit A, the diference in wid-thbeing only equal to the thickness of the metal flanges at the sides ofthe simulated shutters. Of course, it is understood that the uppersection A lacks any simulated bottom sash member yand the lower sectionB lacks any simulated top sash member. An important feature rice of theinvention is the provision on the l-owermost louver 200 of the upperunit A of a reversely bent flange 28 which engages the lower margin 23of one of the louvers 22 of the lower section B when the two sectionsare assembled 'as shown in FIG. 2.

In order to adapt the device for use with windows of a height greaterthan the height to which the sections A and B can be extended, a thirdsection C is provided as shown in FlG. 3. This section has a reverselyhooked tlange 28 on its lowest louver but it has neither a top sashsimulating portion nor a simula-ted bottom sash portion. Its simulatedside sash portions 30 and 31 are at a spacing which may be intermediatethat of the simulated side sash portions of sections A and B. The metalused is so thin and the deflection required .is so slight that it isreadily possible to position the insert section C between the ilanges ofsection A and ou-tside of the flanges of section B.

Each of the sections A and B is provided with screw holes 32 at thecorners of its simulated sash portions. Section A is providedadditionally with screw holes at 33 for which there is no counterpart inmember B as manufactured. It is intended that suitable registering holeswill be provided in member B at the time the sections are assembled. The screws Aare primarily for the purpose of mount-ing the simulatedshu-tters on the wall of a building but they perform the furtherfunction of holding the two simulated sections together.

It will be noted that even without the screws 34 the simulated shuttersections are securely interlocked not alone by the hook ange 28 but bythe interlocking engagement of the louvers in the lapping portions ofthe respective units. Referring to the lower part of FIG. 2, wherein thelap is illustrated, .it will be observed that the -fiat por-tions Z1Aand the inclined panels 22 of the respective louvers are in facecontact throughout. The lower margins 35 of the louvers of section Brest upon the top margins 36 of the side panels 24 of section A, theangle of inclination being such that each of the lower margins of thelouvers of the top section is securely wedged into an angle from whichit cannot escape Without longitudinal displacement of the respectivesections. Accordingly, if the sections are anchored at their remotecorners against such displacement, they must necessarily remain securelylocked together. The same type of interlock is effective between theinserted section C Vand upper and lower sections A and B when theinserted section is used.

Due to the integral stamping of the units to provide the relatively deepsection and oblique louvers as shown, the units are rigid to an extentwhich permits making them of very light-weight material and eliminatesany necessity of internal bracing of Iany sort. The absence of internalbracing permits of the nesting of the units A and B, the lower un-it Bbeing inverted and slipped into the unit A in its inverted posi-tion asshown in FIG. 5. This greatly reduces the cost of packaging, shippingand storing the units.

lclaim:

A simulated shutter comprising the overlapped assembly of (a)prefabrica-ted separately incomplete shutter units,

(b) each comprising integrally Prefabricated sash and louver portions,

(c) a part of one unit overlapping a part of the other unit and beinglongitudinally adjustable with respect to one .another in a directiontransverse to said louvers to adjust the overall length of the assembly,

(d) the louvers of each unit extending to the overlapped ends thereof,

(e) the exposed ends of said uni-ts respectively having top and bottomsash portions beyond said louvers,

(f) and mean-s for interlock-ing saidunits in any one of a plurality ofoverlapping positions in which all Iof the louvers in the overlappingpart of one unit register in face oon-tact with corresponding louvers inthe overlapping part ofthe other unit,

(g) whereby the overlapped assembly of said units simulates a singleunitary shutter with evenly spaced louvers, regardless of the degree ofoverlap of the respective units,

('h) each louver of one unit having a flange integrally connecting i-tsend with a sash portion of said one unit,

(i) said flange having an edge transverse tothe edge of thecorresponding louve1 of the other unit,

(j) said flange edge and louver edge abutting to define registration ofsaid louvers, at least one louver of one unit having a marginal hookflange engaged in the. assembly of said units with a correspondingmargin of alouver of t-he other unit.

References Cited .by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,178,253y10/3'9 Fadery 98-121 X 2,222,83 8 1=1/40 Hammesfahr 98-99.5

3,120,883 2/64 Greiling 189-63 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

, BENJAMIN GEORGE NINAS, JR., JOSEPH D. BEIN BENDETT, Exardm'ners.r n

